GET OUT OF THE BUILDING CONNECT WITH YOUR COMMUNITY!

None of us can be of much help nor find help with others if we do not know and trust one another. Building relationships across differences of culture, ethnicity, religion, language and immigration status will help our communities be stronger and safer for all.

Welcoming Communityis a program to guide local churches in learning about and connecting with immigrant populations in their community. It is also a way for churches with many immigrants to build relationships with churches with members primarily from the dominant culture. In times of divisiveness, such relationships help us all be be wiser, safer and more loving.

Neighbors Together:Promising Practices to Strengthen Relations with Refugees and Muslims is a booklet with many ideas and many stories of success in building communities of neighbors was produced by Welcoming America which also has many other helpful resources.

Dreamers and DACA:Learn more about the program started by President Obama which offers the right to work, study and avoid deportation for young undocumented immigrants which meet certain criteria: DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. This site provides basic and updated information.

Immigration 101 for Allies and Service Providers. This 2 hour 22 minute education program provides information valuable for churches. The video is taken from a live program hosted by from the Seattle Public Library Foundation, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and the Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. The slides are an updated version of those used in the live program.